What happened to the apps on my PC?

Applies to Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1

If you can't find an app or desktop app, like Word, Excel, or other Office products, that's installed on your PC, here are a few things you can try.

Search for an app and pin it to Start

If you usually start an app by tapping or clicking it from Start, but can no longer find it there, check to make sure the app wasn’t accidentally unpinned from Start.

To search for an app and pin it to Start, follow these steps:

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

Enter the name of the app you want to find.

If you see the app listed in the results, swipe down on or right-click the app, and then tap or click Pin to Start.

Install the app from the Windows Store

If an app you own doesn't appear in the search results, it might be installed on a different PC, but not on the one you're using.

To install an app you own from the Windows Store, follow these steps:

On the Start screen, tap or click Store to open the Windows Store.

Tap or click Account, and then tap or click My apps.

Swipe down on or right-click to select the apps you want to install, and then tap or click Install.

Get the app from the Store

If the app doesn’t appear in the list of My apps, it means you don’t own that app and will need to install it from the Store.

Note

If you bought the app from the Store, but don't see it in My apps, check your billing history to make sure that the payment was processed. Apps installed before a payment is completely processed might work for a short period of time and then stop working. For more info about how to view your billing history, see Edit payment method for the Windows Store and view billing history.

The app is no longer available

In some cases, an app might be removed from the Windows Store for violating the Terms of Use. When this happens, you'll receive an email notifying you that the app will no longer be available in the Store. The app will still appear on your PC if you installed it, but to help protect your safety, it will no longer work.

Note

If you don’t see Account, your PC doesn’t have the latest update for the Store yet. Instead swipe down from the top edge of the screen (or if you’re using a mouse, right-click) and then tap or click Your apps.